Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd's big day helped the Tigers take down Boston College and improve to 6-0. Next up, a visit from undefeated Florida State. / Joshua S. Kelly, USA TODAY Sports

by Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY Sports

by Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY Sports

It took a while, but after more than a month of relative stability there was significant shake-up in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll. Fueling the change was a trio of upsets of top-10 teams, though the chaos didn't quite make it to the upper echelons.

The four highest-ranked teams held their positions. No.1 Alabama was devastatingly efficient in dispatching Kentucky and easily retained the top spot with 58 of 62 first-place votes. Oregon, equally impressive in a road victory at then-No.19 Washington, remained No.2 with three firsts. Ohio State stayed put at No.3 following a bye week.

The upset bug nearly reached No.4 Clemson, but the Tigers survived an early scare from Boston College and prevailed 24-14. Clemson retained the final No.1 vote heading into next Saturday's prime-time showdown with Florida State. The Seminoles inherited the No.5 slot vacated by Stanford. The Atlantic Coast Conference has two teams in the top five for the first time since 2005. Florida State stayed ahead of No.6 Louisville, which gained two places after a Thursday night win against Rutgers. Texas A&M, which barely escaped itself at Ole Miss, also climbed two spots to No.7.

The threesome of upset victims to previously unranked teams created room for the next five clubs in last week's pecking order to advance three places each. The SEC was the biggest beneficiary of this movement with No.8 LSU and No.9 South Carolina giving the league four top-10 representatives once again. UCLA climbed to No.10, its first time in the top-10 since 2005. Miami (Fla.) advanced to No.11 and Baylor is now the Big 12 poll leader at No.12.

Stock up: Missouri.

The Tigers were just outside the top 25 a week ago. They took care of that in a big way by upending then-No.7 Georgia on the road to make a splashy 2013 debut in the coaches poll at No.14. The win might have been a costly one, however, as starting QB James Franklin left the game with a shoulder injury, the severity of which has yet to be determined.

Stock down: Georgia.

The injury-riddled Bulldogs didn't have enough weapons to overcome Mizzou and took the biggest plunge within the poll this week of nine places to No.16.

Stock up: Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders had to scramble a bit o get past a scrappy Iowa State group 42-35. But that result combined with the rash of upsets was enough to propell them to a six-position gain to No.15.

Stock down: Stanford.

The highest-profile club to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, the Cardinal's stunning loss at Utah kncoked them down eight places to No.13. The Pac-12 title is still on the table for Stanford, but a climb back to the top five could be difficult.

Stock up: Virginia Tech.

The Hokies made it six wins in a row since an opening-day loss to Alabama, handling ACC newcomer Pittsburgh at home. Their five-place rise to No.20 now gives the ACC four squads in the top 20.

Stock down: Oklahoma.

The Sooners took an eight-position tumble to No.18 after suffering its first loss of the year to Red River rival Texas.